Designer I, Inline Footwear Design

Brooks Running • Seattle, WA

7d • $80,175 - $120,315 • Hybrid

About The Position

As a Brooks Running Footwear Designer 1, Inline, you create and define the AESTHETIC READINESS of Brooks Running inline footwear projects. You create EXECUTIONAL DESIGN BALANCE between more progressive and more commercially acceptable design solutions as part of seasonal footwear collections, ensuring clarity, consistency, and alignment across the product line. As a Footwear Designer 1, Inline, you use the creative foundation CRAFTED BEAUTY to create compelling footwear designs. Through this foundation, you will be part of the continued elevation of CRAFTED BEAUTY as a design reference for Brooks Running inline product, while maintaining brand direction, performance requirements, and appropriate aesthetic appeal for the target consumer. As a Footwear Designer 1, Inline, you work in close collaboration with the Color–Material & Trend Design team on the development of Seasonal Beauty. You contribute to emotional storytelling through color, graphics, material, finishes, and trend across both pre-development and inline design processes. You also partner with the Advanced Design team to apply FUTURE BEAUTY, helping to connect advanced design thinking with inline execution. As a Footwear Designer 1, Inline, you apply 3D visual and technical tools to strengthen design communication, product understanding, and program knowledge. You use digital tools to clearly express design intent, support iteration, and ensure design fidelity throughout the development process. Files are shared across the footwear organization and with Asia development partners to ensure clarity, alignment, and execution consistency. As a Footwear Designer 1, Inline, you work towards clear communication across the Product Line Management team, Product Development team, Color & Trend team, and Product Assessment team. You ensure design intent is clearly understood and carried through each stage of the process, supporting alignment across cross-functional partners. With your experience in footwear design, you will play a core role on the footwear design team to ensure that Brooks is the most LOVED brand for runners worldwide.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in industrial design, footwear design, or a related field; an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered in place of a degree.
• 3+ years of experience designing footwear or similar products, with experience in color, material, and textiles, contributing to forward-thinking design vision in a retail or manufacturing environment.
• Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
• Proficiency in macOS (Apple operating system).
• Embraces and lives Brooks core values.

Nice To Haves

• Proficiency in 2D and 3D CAD tools, with exposure to complex surfacing and geometry using tools such as Rhino, Blender, Adobe Substance (2D/3D Suite), SolidWorks, Grasshopper, etc. (preferred, not required).
• 3D design experience preferred.
• Passion for running and/or sports is a plus, with a strong ability to understand and empathize with runners to create meaningful product experiences.

Responsibilities

• Own the full design of designated performance footwear models by creating and presenting upper, midsole, and outsole sketches for inline product.
• Apply identity principles to help maximize perceived value and support strong aesthetic competitiveness within inline product.
• Continuously develop 3D modeling skills to explore the evolution of 2D and 3D design and how new tools and technologies can be used to elevate design execution.
• Utilize 3D during the creation phase to visualize and iterate designs, while building capability in technical applications such as manipulation of tooling files.
• Stay current with footwear trends, materials, and design technologies to support product creation and expand design possibilities.
• Participate in pre-season development and support the exploration of design directions within inline product cycles.
• Apply learned techniques and experience to approach, analyze, and solve design challenges within assigned projects.
• Organize and deliver product design presentations in both physical and digital formats, clearly communicating exploration, process, and final solutions.
• Seek mentorship from more tenured designers and actively apply feedback to strengthen design output.
• Respond to design critique with multiple design solutions to support iteration, alignment, and decision-making.
• Work with the Advanced Design team to ensure a consistent flow of information between advanced and inline design processes.
• Work closely with the 3D CAD Design team to align design intent with technical execution through ongoing communication and feedback.
• Work closely with the Color–Material & Trend Design team to integrate seasonal color, material, and trend concepts into inline footwear design.
• Work with cross-functional partners in Product Color & Trend, Materials, Product Development, Product Line Management, and Product Assessment to gather input used to inform your design decisions
• Work closely with development teams in Asia and global production partners to ensure clear communication of design intent and execution alignment
• Participate in cross-functional reviews to establish alignment across Inline, Advanced Design, 3D CAD, and Color/Material/Trend teams
• Collaborate by sharing ideas, responding to feedback, and ensuring alignment throughout the design process.
• Work with PLM and Development teams to ensure design intent is translated into feasible and manufacturable product solutions.
• Participate in early-stage development discussions to drive design direction and clarity.
• Work closely with the development teams in Asia and our overseas production sites.
• Maintain calendars, timelines, and deadlines to ensure timely completion of each project from concept through execution.
• Use strong design knowledge to partner effectively with product teams and support informed decision-making.
• Respond to critique with a curious mindset; propose alternative design options through additional exploration.
• Stay informed on the design landscape and relevant trends to understand how they may influence design direction.
• Continue to build knowledge of prototyping, including the use of handmade models to demonstrate and validate design intent.
• Conduct visits to factories and material suppliers to gain insights and deepen understanding of footwear manufacturing processes.
• Travel as necessary to Asia, Europe, trade shows, races, retailers, and other external events to support design development and collaboration.

Benefits

• medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance, HSA and employer contribution, FSA, family & fertility assistance, 401K Savings Plan and match, employee assistance program, and transportation assistance.
• generous time off, including five weeks of paid time off, eleven paid holidays, and paid sick and parental leave.
• annual bonus based on company performance.
• product discounts, employee recognition, fitness discounts, volunteer and donation benefits.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level